How much fish do YOU eat?

Not enough if you’re an ’average fish eater’. Endless statistics and all those do’s and don’ts are enough to put anyone off bothering with the subject of sensible eating. Probably most people who live on a so-called balanced diet don’t give it much thought. ’Eat fish and you’ll live longer’ might be true. ‘Eat fish and you’ll live more healthily’ certainly is. But fish because you enjoy it is by far the most promising invitation for most of us.

Fish is an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals, and because the oils in fish are polyunsaturated they help to lower the body’s cholesterol level and avoid heart disease. Even with fish there are high and low calorie levels, 100gm of herring has 190cals compared to soles 90. But the equivalent amount of lamb chop has 350!

You can grill, barbecue, poach, braise, steam, bake, stir fry, microwave, serve in salad, turn into a mousse etc. etc.

Fish is nutritionally as near perfect food as you are likely to find. Extremely low in carbohydrates and saturated fat, yet bursting with high quality proteins - all the ones you need for good health. All fish are a good source of the B vitamin and minerals such as iodine needed for the body’s metabolism and calcium needed for growth.

Oily fish, so called because the oil is distributed throughout the flesh, rather than being concentrated in the liver as it is in white fish, are rich vitamins A and D helps build bones while A found in very few foods, is a real beautifier. It encourages good sight and keeps the skin healthy and moist. Research now suggests that a couple of fish meals a week can actually help lower cholesterol in the blood. The fats found in oily fish such as herrings and mackerel are highly unsaturated and not those associated with heart disease and cholesterol levels being high.

COD - an excellent food for slimmer’s, it is fairly rich in satisfying protein, and, at the same time, low in calories. Cod is low in calories because it is one of the ’lean’ fish containing very little oil. But with fish, cookery methods are particularly important for those who wish to control their weight. Fish absorbs a great deal of fat in frying, and it more than doubles its fattening potential when cooked in this way.

Check out our recipe archives for some very tasty fish recipes.